Reversible sintering pallet

ABSTRACT

A reversible pallet for a sintering machine comprises a unitary structure that has fittings on the ends for mounting shafts with wheels, and that has detachable walls of a tooth pocket that cooperate with the teeth of a pallet-driving sprocket.

United States Patent Inventors Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee REVERSIBLE SINTERING PALLET Primary Examiner-Gerald A. Dost Attorneys-Sherman H. Barber and Olin E. Williams ABSTRACT: A reversible pallet for a sintering machine comprises a unitary structure that has fittings on the ends for mounting shafts with wheels, and that has detachable walls of a tooth pocket that cooperate with the teeth of a pallet-driving 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

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i 5/ 1 J 5.9 i::' ::::1"-:::: J::I::::; 1 o 01 w 1? f ("""L 15""; 11'1"] 11111:- E 25 I \6/ K5/ PATENTEUuuv 2 l9?! SHEET 10F 2 INVENTORS KURT RE/NFELD 6 L50 SIL VEABLATT PATENTED D 2 SHEET 2 BF 2 INVENTORS 7 X027 Rf/NFELD 5 BY 15a 5/; vmsurr REVERSIBLE SINTERING PALLET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to sintering and, more particularly, to an improved sintering pallet.

A conventional sintering machine includes a plurality of sintering pallets that are interconnected to form a train supported by wheels engaging rails that form a track and determine a path over which the pallets of the train pass. The pallet train, being in the form of an endless belt, cooperates with power-operated sprockets having teeth that engage respective pallets and push them against preceding pallets on the upper run of the track.

It has been experienced in operating sintering machines that the pallets undergo progressive sagging crosswise of the machine. This sagging is caused by a combination of cycling mechanical loads and thermal loads. These cycling mechanical and thermal loads produce a compressive yielding in the uppermost fibers of the pallet cross ribs, which in effect shortens the top of the cross ribs causing the downward sag of the ribs. The top of the cross ribs being next to the hot sinter becomes much hotter than the lower portion of the ribs. Therefore, due to the restraining influence of the colder bottom portion, the upsetting action takes place in the upper part.

Those skilled in the art are familiar with reversible pallets that are comprised of three sections: two fixed end sections, and one reversible center section; the three sections being bolted together. Such reversible pallets are provided with an elaborate and costly connection between the three sections.

In contrast to the prior art, the present invention includes a singlesection reversible pallet having the significant novel features and advantages disclosed hereinafter that are not found in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A reversible pallet for a sintering machine comprises a onepiece structure that includes a plurality of spaced-apart parallel ribs with a plurality of intercostal webs between the ribs and with end plates secured to the rib ends; the fittings are mounted to the end plates for supporting shafts with rollers that engage a track; and means are mounted to the end plates forming the walls of a pocket which coact with teeth of a pallet-d riving sprocket.

For a further understanding of the invention and for advantages and features thereof, reference may be made to the following description in conjunction with the drawings which shows, for the purpose of exemplification, one embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a reversible sintering pallet in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the reversible pallet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the pallet of FIG. I; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along lines IV-IV of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A reversible sintering pallet II in accordance with the invention, shown in FIG. 1, includes a plurality of elongate ribs 13 that are arranged in spaced-apart relation and that are symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal axis. The pallet ribs 13 are formed integrally with end plates 15 and with a plurality of intercostal transverse webs 17 as a pallet frame.

The pallet ribs 13 have a central rectangular portion 19 and T-shaped portions 21 integrally formed therewith, as shown in FIG. 4. The T-shaped portions 21 accommodate pallet rib heat shields 23 that are more particularly described in copending application Ser. No. 853,652 filed Aug. 28, I969. As mentioned in the copending application, the T-shaped portions 21 may have other suitable shapes, if such are preferred.

As shown in FIG. 4, particularly at the left-hand portion thereof, a transverse web 25 adjoining the outside pallet rib I3 and the next adjacent pallet rib, is of considerably larger cross section. The shape of such transverse web 25 at the sides is substantially similar to the shape of the end plates 15.

A plurality of conventional grates or grate bars 27 are supported on the heat shields 23, and, in way of the transverse web 25, other grate bars 29, shaped about as shown in FIG. 4, are provided. These grate bars 29 cooperate with the heat shields 23 and with the transverse web 25.

The end walls of plates 15 are generally rectangular in shape with shaped fittings 31 added where shown in FIG. 3. The shaped fittings 31 have rounded upper and lower surface portions 33, and a vertical flat surface portion 35 which is made preferably of hardened steel. The rounded upper and lower surface portions 33, coact with similar rounded surfaces of adjacent pallets of the pallet train. Such a rounded shape results in considerably less wear, wherefore the life of a pallet is significantly extended.

The shaped fittings 31 are bolted, as at 37, to the end plates 15, and the shaped fitting has a boss portion 39 that is bored, as at 40, to receive a shaft 41 on which a wheel 43 is mounted. The wheel 43 coacts with a rail 45 which is fixed to suitable structure 47.

The shaped fitting 31 has a rectangular shaped protrusion 49 on the side opposite the surface 35, and the protrusion 49 coacts with a reversible tooth pocket portion 51. Since both shaped fittings 31 are identical, the tooth pocket portions 51 are also identical and interchangeable. The tooth pocket portions 51 are provided with a rectangular notch 53 that coacts with the rectangular protrusion 49, and each tooth pocket portion 51 has an arcuate opposite surface 55 that coacts with a tooth 57 of a pallet-driving sprocket wheel such as are described in US. Pat. No. 3,025,046. The tooth pocket portions 51 are bolted, as at 59, to the shaped fitting 31.

The end walls or plates 15 are also provided with identical upper and lower slots 61 and 63. Upper slot 61 accommodates either a depending tongue 65 of a pallet side plate 67, as in FIG. 2, or, when the pallet 11 is reversed, a T-shaped seal bar 69, shown in cooperation with the lower slot 63. In a similar way, slot 63 can accommodate either the T-shaped bar 69 or, when reversed, the side plate 67. The T-shaped sealing bar is described in US. Pat. No. 3,0593 l 2. However, other types of sealing bars may be used if preferred, as long as they will coact with the slots 61 and 63 and perform a satisfactory scaling function.

The grate bars 27 are maintained in position on the pallet by means of conventional locking bars 71 that are bolted, as at 73, to the pallet side plates 69; these side plates also being bolted, as at 75, to the end plates 15 in the usual manner.

Those skilled in the art will recognize from the foregoing description of one embodiment of the invention several significant features and advantages, among which are:

That the reversible pallet is a single, one-piece structure;

That the single, one-piece pallet is more easily reversed than other multipiece reversible pallets;

That the single, one-piece pallet is more rugged and is stiffer than other multipiece pallets;

That the single, one-piece pallet has reversible sprocket tooth pockets that can be easily and quickly reversed when it is necessary or desirable to reverse the pallet; and

That the pallet has rolling surfaces on the end pieces that admit of smooth coaction of one pallet with an adjacent pallet in the train.

What is claimed is:

l. A reversible pallet for a sintering machine comprising:

a. a plurality of spaced-apart parallel ribs having substantially identical longitudinal top and bottom edge surfaces;

b. a plurality of intercostal webs disposed between and fixed to said ribs;

c. a pair of end plates secured to the ends of said ribs, each end plate having an elongate groove in the top surface and a substantially identical groove in the bottom surface;

d. a sealing bar disposed in each bottom groove;

a. heat shields mounted to the top edge surfaces of said ribs.

3. The pallet of claim 1 wherein:

a. said tooth pocket portions are bolted to said fittings.

4. The pallet of claim 1 wherein:

a. said fittings have rounded end surface portions that are adapted to cooperate with fittings of an adjacent pallet having such rounded surface portions. 

1. A reversible pallet for a sintering machine comprising: a. a plurality of spaced-apart parallel ribs having substantially identical longitudinal top and bottom edge surfaces; b. a plurality of intercostal webs disposed between and fixed to said ribs; c. a pair of end plates secured to the ends of said ribs, each end plate having an elongate groove in the top surface and a substantially identical groove in the bottom surface; d. a sealing bar disposed in each bottom groove; e. pallet side frames mounted to said end plates and having tongue portions disposed in the top grooves; f. fittings mounted to said end plates for supporting shafts with rollers on which said pallet is supported; g. tooth pocket portions mounted to the fittings of each end plate and forming a tooth pocket that cooperates with a palletdriving sprocket; and h. a plurality of grate bars disposed on said pallet rib.
 2. The pallet of claim 1 including: a. heat shields mounted to the top edge surfaces of said ribs.
 3. The pallet of claim 1 wherein: a. said tooth pocket portions are bolted to said fittings.
 4. The pallet of claim 1 wherein: a. said fittings have rounded end surface portions that are adapted to cooperate with fittings of an adjacent pallet having such rounded surface portions. 